Muscovy Coop ideas? (Newbie)

[Girlmomx3]

I’m new to owning Muscovies. We had 11 given to us about a month ago. They are not 4 months. They’ve lived in a make shift coop temporarily since we got them without even a full days notice. (Previous owner was unable to care for them anymore due to her age/health.)

So, I’ve almost completed their coop! We have shavings in their temporary coop and oh my lord in my two years of being a chicken mama I’ve never seen such a mess haha! Would sand be a wise choice for the ducks? The coop will be 10x10 and 5 feet high, little higher in the front, and I will have two boards In the back for them to hop up on to roost as well. They are let out everyday from 8am-dusk to free range.
*Im going to put their food and water in a trough along the front wall.

Any ideas and recommendations welcome!

I’m making it with 5’ skids and filling them gaps with boards. Going to paint it white and it’ll have a metal roof. A porch too! Haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a nice place for them. That's great you will be adding roosts for them, my muscovy love to roost. Be sure to give them plenty of ventilation in their new coop. Even in winter they need fresh air just not blowing straight over them. Also having ventilation up to around the roof will help remove moisture they create and can keep them from getting frostbite on their fleshy faces.
Keeping their food and water outside will help with the mess inside, although they do poop alot. I use the pine bedding for mine so I can't speak about sand. But i also use deep litter so every day i just go in and scoop out the wet [laces and turn the bedding then they are ready to start again. lol
Your coop will be perfect for you to get inside and clean with out bumping your head. Well unless your over 5' tall then you might still bump your head. But having a coop you can literally walk into to clean to me is very important.
Enjoy your Muscovy they are an awesome breed.

here is an article on coop ventilation geared towards chickens but this should really be for all poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/

 

[Girlmomx3]

What a nice place for them. That's great you will be adding roosts for them, my muscovy love to roost. Be sure to give them plenty of ventilation in their new coop. Even in winter they need fresh air just not blowing straight over them. Also having ventilation up to around the roof will help remove moisture they create and can keep them from getting frostbite on their fleshy faces.
Keeping their food and water outside will help with the mess inside, although they do poop alot. I use the pine bedding for mine so I can't speak about sand. But i also use deep litter so every day i just go in and scoop out the wet [laces and turn the bedding then they are ready to start again. lol
Your coop will be perfect for you to get inside and clean with out bumping your head. Well unless your over 5' tall then you might still bump your head. But having a coop you can literally walk into to clean to me is very important.
Enjoy your Muscovy they are an awesome breed.

here is an article on coop ventilation geared towards chickens but this should really be for all poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/

Yes! I’m only 5’ 2” haha I was going to have the space between the front skids and the roof hardware wire and a small “window” on the door of hardware wire. You think that would be good for ventilation? I was thinking of framing and enclosing the porch in hardware cloth and using flaps as a door to get in the coop so the food and water could be on the porch but accessible through the night, as well as predator proof. You think that would be a good choice?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just know their porch will be covered with poop by morning lol hope you will have access to a hose. Can you put a window on the south side I think the more the better. You can cover in hardware cloth and even have a way to cover some of it if the weather gets frigid. I keep the windows on the south side of my coop open from the top about half way and there is ventilation around the roof on the inside. We can get down into low 20's teens a lot In winter even with wind chill below 0 and as long as there isn't a breeze blowing over them they do great they are well insulated. Your thoughts on hardware cloth is def the way to go for any opening. We went to habitat and bought some of our windows for our coop. Plus making your own is also a good idea.